


Amanda's Tips on Thieving

by calime



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-11
Updated: 2006-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-12 09:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/123466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calime/pseuds/calime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amanda gives Joe some insider tips...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amanda's Tips on Thieving

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by and expanded from drabbles written for the [](http://community.livejournal.com/highlander100/profile)[**highlander100**](http://community.livejournal.com/highlander100/) Challenge #102:The Paper Trail.  
>  **Disclaimer:** Those you recognize, I do not own. Infinite thanks for [](http://holde-maid.livejournal.com/profile)[**holde_maid**](http://holde-maid.livejournal.com/) for playing spot-the-typo.

"Theft - a properly executed theft - is a creative science," Amanda said, "requiring precision and flexibility in equal measures. It also calls for flair and creativity."  
Joe chuckled. "You of course would have a private philosophy regarding stealing. I thought it was just _Ooh! pretty!_ , grabbing the trinket and making a break for it," he teased.  
Amanda regarded him through her long lashes, mock-annoyed.  
"Joseph," she chided, "I would expect a man of your class to be less dense. You have to specify the target, then study the situation and remove the target with minimal inconvenient ... entanglements. And, of course, then you have to fence it. Leaving a paper trail is very important safety measure."  
"You mean _not_ leaving a trail?" asked Joe, somewhat confused.  
"No, I meant _leaving_ a proper paper trail that is not too obvious at the first glance nor too hard to find."  
Amanda leaned closer, her voice down to a whisper.  
"One leading right past you ... at a safe distance."  
Joe shivered. There wasn't much of a distance and it definitely didn't feel safe.  
Amanda gently trailed a finger down the back of his neck.  
On the other hand, safe was probably a bit overrated anyway.  
********  
"So, what were you two talking about?" asked Methos, propping his feet comfortably up on the table. He took a long, thirsty draught of beer and lifted the bottle in response to Amanda's jaunty wave at her way out.  
"Amanda has been extolling the importance of a well-laid paper trail in a quality theft."  
Joe felt that while it did not exactly cover all the activities of the current evening, it was still a quite informative summary on the talking part.  
Methos nodded sagely. "She's right. It's the same thing with the disappearances. You have heard that story about Don Salzer's first assignment?"  
" The 'new immortal' Mr. Panzer who lost two paternity suits, was repeatedly treated for syphilis and proceeded to die of a confirmed heart attack five years later? Don must've told it at least a dozen times. He liked to say it was a textbook example of a mistaken identification."  
Methos smirked. "Like Amanda said, always take care to leave a waterproof paper trail."  
Joe stared at him for a long moment, then started to laugh.  
"But I recall the guy also donated his body to a medical school in his will, or something," he managed to protest after regaining his breathing.  
Methos gave him the patented eyeroll. "Sometimes, papers are not sufficient. In these cases one also needs to provide bodily evidence to support it."


End file.
